The Sacred Science of Ancient Japan

Ancient history is a subject dear to many Japanese people. In the 2014 Bear and Company publication, The Sacred Science of Ancient Japan, you will discover the Japanese equivalent to Atlantis: records of ancient legends handed down as historical texts, stories of an age when gods and men interacted. I examine the provenance of these works, but more importantly, I discuss the importance of their content and the important messages they have for the world, through a rough comparison to the works of Julius Evola and René Guénon.

My book should serve as a introduction to these "parahistorical" documents. Our quest begins here, but it does not end here. There is much more work to be done, and I have provided some English language links on this page for interested readers to get started.

What's Inside

Japan's Scientific Protohistory

My book starts off with a discussion of what we know about Japan's ancient history. You'll learn about the protohistoric Princess Himiko and get a tour of Japan's Stone Age cultures. Then, we'll delve into shrines and ancient mythology.

This includes a brief examination of the myth and history of the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, along with the glimpses they give us of the prediluvean age: futomani divination, the Script of the Gods or kamiyo moji, and the mystical power of language: kotodama.

Sendai Kuji Hongi Taiseikyō

From ancient history we move into a mysterious case in 17th century Japan that was the beginning of parahistory.

I discuss the legend of Prince Shōtoku, the claim that he discovered secret ancient teachings written in kamiyo moji, and the principles these teachings lay out for the world. You'll learn about the Hifumi Song and the Five Constitutions which give an order and balance to Japan's three ancient traditions.

This chapter also includes a brief introduction to a channeled text called the Hitsuki Shinji, a "Solar-Lunar Revelation" for our age with a philosophy grounded in the Taiseikyō.

The Hotsuma Tsutaye and Woshite Corpus

Could this amazing epic poem really date to pre-classical antiquity? The Hotsuma Tsutaye and its related corpus of manuscripts in an otherwise unknown writing system called woshite challenge the reader with their grand historical claims, and conquer the spirit with their esoteric teaching. Learn how this unusual Japanese text connects vegetarianism to alchemy, purifying both the body and the spirit. Also, get a taste of the secret teaching used in ultra-ancient times to maintain a happy and stable society.

The Takenouchi Documents

The esoteric King of the World motif appeared in Japan in 1928 with the Takenouchi Documents, which encompass not only scraps of parchment and lost texts but also sculpture and ancient pyramids in Japan. This is where you will find the story about Jesus coming to Japan and Moses riding on a UFO. And it's all based in real Japanese mythology! This chapter also includes the first full English biography of the heretical adventurer Katsutoki Sakai.

The Katakamuna Documents

The final prehistory I deal with does not even seem to be history at all, but describes a kind of perennial, sacred science. The script used, pictured at right, seems to portray some kind of geometric ideal, and the primeval poetry expressed through the script gives layers of spiritual meaning to the Japanese language.

Parahistory and the Grey Gentlemen

In this final chapter I try to make sense of the many messages the parahistories have for us, and how they relate to the problems of the modern world. We'll examine concepts like forgery, myth, religion, and tradition. Some of my favorite writers, ancient and modern, are brought into this discussion. If you know who the "grey gentlemen" are, try not to spoil it for everyone else!

Appendix A: Complete Table of Japanese ParahistoriesFor an outline of what's included in this appendix, see the list below.

Appendix B: Parahistory in the WestOssian, the Oera Linda Book, Theosophy, Cthulhu, and so much more!

Parahistory Links in English

There is very little available about Japanese parahistories in English. Contact me if you find any useful material online or offline.

Sendai Kuji Hongi apocrypha: More information on, and better illustrations of, the Ten Sacred Regalia may be found in Kadoya Atsushi, "Myths, rites and icons: Three views of a secret," in Scheid and Teeuwen, eds. The Culture of Secrecy in Japanese Religion (Routledge, 2006). I unfortunately did not know about this source when I wrote the book.